Laura Reeves
1. I’m Laura Reeves, host of the Pure Dog Talk and The Marty & Laura Show podcasts. I’m located in Southern Oregon. I started in purebred dogs as a kid with my family. My father bred and competed with Field Trial Labrador Retrievers in the 1970s. Later, they became very involved with Clumber Spaniels. My first German Wirehaired Pointer (GWP) arrived in 1982, with The Scotia Kennel established in 1997.
2. The GWP Breed Standard is very clear: “…the breed’s most distinguishing characteristics are its weather resistant, wire-like coat and its facial furnishings.” Later, “The functional wiry coat is the breed’s most distinctive feature. A dog must have a correct coat to be of correct type.” (Emphasis added.)
Correct coat is also specifically described: “The distinctive outer coat is straight, harsh, wiry and flat lying, and is from one to two inches in length. The outer coat is long enough to protect against the punishment of rough cover, but not so long as to hide the outline of the dog. On the lower legs the coat is shorter and between the toes it is of softer texture. On the skull the coat is naturally short and close fitting. (Emphasis added.)
The breed was developed to hunt fur and feather, retrieve on land and in water, dispatch small predators, and guard hearth and home. The correct coat is protective from punishing brush and cold water. It is also inconsistent and difficult to produce, which leads to another line in the Standard: “Extreme and excessive grooming to present a dog artificial in appearance should be severely penalized.” In other words, fix it in the whelping box, not the tack box.
3. To be honest, no. We actually rearranged a couple of planned breedings based on the number of upcoming litters around the country, even though both of the bitches in question, both with valuable pedigrees, are reaching the end of their reproductive years.
4. Breeding is part art and part science. Science has brought us DNA testing for the furnishing gene to help breeders produce correct coats more consistently, progesterone timing, frozen semen, and more. One of my favorite projects was running “actual” Coefficient of Inbreeding (vs. pedigree COI, which often differs significantly) DNA tests on a tightly bred litter, which allowed me to select the lowest COI bitch to carry forward.
As I have reached semi-retirement from breeding, thanks to modern communications I have been able to develop a broad consortium of breeders all aligned around The Scotia Kennel family of dogs. In fact, the newest puppies here came from dogs bred through
that consortium.
5. In the world of the GWP, populated largely by hunters, purebred dogs retain their salience because the dogs still perform an important function. In the larger community, I do believe we’re seeing a small but subtle shift in accepting the value of purebred dogs. It’s important that EVERY fancier understands the virtues of purebred dogs and be ready to extoll them at the drop of a hat. Or even drop the hat themselves!
6. In the Conformation world, entry numbers are low at nearly every “weekend” show and even at many of the top-tier shows. Every show I have been to over the last year has been down in entries; in some cases, radically. I think it’s partly the economy. I also think many new purebred dog fanciers prefer to compete in “companion sports” like Fast CAT and Barn Hunt. We need to continue to concentrate on ways to make these folks want to come to the dog show.
7. The most passion and sort of “old-school” camaraderie I encounter these days is in and around the FSS (Foundation Stock Service) Open Show community. The folks involved in rare breeds are deeply committed, less “hide-bound,” and often younger. I continue to encourage folks to “cross-pollinate” …get involved in a new breed and possibly bring some of those exhibitors over to your original breed at the same time.
